Method of binding books



May 17, 1932. w. 1.. SEMON METHOD OF BINDING BOOKS Filed April 18. 1929Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALIDO L. SEMON, OFCUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, ASSIG-N'OR TO THE F. GOODRIOBf COM- IPAN'Y, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK V METHOD OF BINDING BOOKSApplication filed April 18,

when the sheets are folded and the book assembled. Brochures andperiodicals are frequently printed on sheets twice the size of the page,one sheet containing, for example, the first page on one end of thesheet and 5 the last page on the other end. The respective sheets aresuperimposed and stitched or stapled together in the middle. Themanufacture of books, etc. from single sheets, each of which may beprinted separately, and each .20 constituting only a single leaf of thecompleted book offers important advantages over the hereinabovedescribed processes, but has not found universal favor because of the.

lack of a suitable strong and flexible means of fastening together theedges of the sheets and securing them to the cover.

This invention consists in distorting or bending the leaves of a book orsimilar publication adjacent to the back edge thereof in such a mannerthat the leaves interlock with one another mechanically, and fixing thedistorted edges of the leaves by means of an adhesive or otherwise toprovide a secure an-' chorage against separation or removal of any orall of the leaves. In order to provide a structure with themaximum-degree of flexibility it is preferred to manufacture the bookfrom separate leaves, which are superimposed and trimmed to-a smoothsurface on their common back edge, the edge of the bundle of leavesbeing distorted and treated with an elastic adhesive as hereinafter morefully described. That is, portions of the b ck ed e of each leaf arebent out of the plane defined by the remainder of the leaf, eachSuccessive leaf being bent in the same manner, the complete stack orbundle of leaves being united to a permanent whole by an adhesivesubstance applied to the back edge. 50 The edge of each leaf maybetreated sepa- 1929. Serial No. 356,228.

rately, the book being built up by superimposlng the leaves after theiredges are distorted, but preferably the leaves are first assembled andthe edges of all the leaves are treated simultaneously while they aremaintained in then final positions relative to one another. The adhesivemay be applied after the back edge of the bundle of leaves is distorted,but if t is of such a nature as to soften the paper, it may be founddesirable to apply the adhesive first in order to facilitate thedistortion of the edge. I

The method of this invention will be readily understood from thefollowing descriptionsof specific embodiments thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 are sections throughthe leaves of a book in the rocess of manufacture. Figs. 2, 3, 6, an 7are views of portions of the back of a book. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveView of a finished'book bound by the method of this invention, portionsbeing broken away to Show the construction.

In Fig. 1 the leaves 10 of a book are shown assembled in their properorder, supported by a clamping device '11, the back 12 of the leaves proectin a slight distance,.say 1/16 in. to 1/8'in., a ove the clamp 11. Ifthe edges of the leaves are ragged, or if they do not all project thesame distance above the clamp, they should be carefully trimmed to asmooth surface.

- The trimmed back 12 is then cut or scored across at fairly closeintervals, say 1/8 in. to 1/4 in., with a sharp knife or other suitableinstrument,.as shown at 13, 13 in Fig.-

2, which represents diagrammatically a portion of the back 12. The cuts13 are most angle thereto, in which case an additional advantage issecured by reason of the dovetailing of adjacent sections of the edge.-

The edges of the sections of paper between successive cuts are bent inopposite directions,

as'shown in Fig. 3, either at the same time that the cuts are made, orsubsequently. For

15, 15 of the edge are bent in the opposite direction.

The manner in which the sections 14 and 15 of the leaves 10 may be bentis illustrated v .in Fig. 4. The bending is preferably acunite the pagespermanently and to secure them to the cover. If desired, a strip offabric may be inserted between the treated back of the leaves and thecover, further to reenforce and strengthen the binding. Thus, in Fig. 5,which shows a preferred construction of a completely bound book, afabric strip 21 is secured to the treated back of the leaves 10 by meansof a suitable adhesive, a second layer of the adhesive being used forattaching the cover 22.

An alternative modification is illustrated in Fig. 6, the oppositecorners 17 and 18 of each section between adjacent cuts 19 and 20 beingbent in opposite directions, instead of the whole section being bent inthe same direction, -.each section of the edge thereby acquiring an Sshape.

It is not even always necessary to cut across the edge of the leaves.The leaves may be bent at a considerable angle in opposite directionswithout severing the edges of the sheets, especially if a soft paper isemployed or if the ed e is softened by moistemng or otherwise.

- binding prepared in such a manner, 14, 14

and 15, 15 being the respective portions bent in the op osite directionsas before. How-' ever, it w 11 usually be preferred to cut the edge,since the cut sections "can-be bent at I a sharper angle and produce asomewhat stronger binding.

The adhesive employed for securing the leaves and the cover in theirpermanent relationship may be any of the well-known adhesives which havea sufliciently great tenaci- -ty and elasticity. For example, glueadmixed with sufiicient glycerine or other equivalent substances torender it permanently somewhat elastic is commonly employed in bindingbooks. However, more elastic adhesives are preferably employed. Latex,for example the ammonia-preserved and/0r concentrated latex of the Heveabrasilienss, which yields the ordinary rubber of commerce, is one of thebest known adhesives for this purpose, especially when admixed with acolloidal substance such as egg or blood albumen, caseig. 7 representsthe edge of a.

in, glue, sodium silicate, sodium alginate, etc. Such an adhesive maybepreparedby dlssolving 20 parts by weight of glue in 100 parts of latexwhich has been concentrated to a rubber content of about 50%. The thickadhesive is smeared over the back of the book, the binding strip andcovers are applied and the adhesive is dried. The finished book is quiteflexible; the book can be bent to a considerable extent without breakingit; and the leaves are so firmly united that it is impossible to removethe individual leaves without tearing the paper.

The tough balata-like rubber isomers prepared by the reaction ofsulphonic acids with rubber, and described by Harr L. Flsher in theUnited States Patent 0. 1,605,180, November 2, 1926, are remarkablyeffective adhesives for the purpose of this invention. They may beemployed either in solution in a suitable solvent such as-benzene orcarbon tetrachloride, or finely dispersed in water, or may be softenedby heat. The latter is usual ly preferable, since the adhesive sets muchmore rapidly upon cooling than adhesives which set upon evaporation of asolvent.

The adhesive, for example, may be applied to the back in the form of athin calendered strip, which is softened and pressed into the paper bymeans of a hot'iron. The rubber isomer need not be prepared according tothe specific disclosure of the above-mentioned patent. The term toughheat-plastic rubber isomer is intended to include tough, somewhatelastic, heat-plastic products, isomeric with rubber, but chemicallyless unsaturated than rubber, whether prepared by the method of theabove patent or by any other method.

It is to be understood that the specific may be required by the priorart and as in-- dicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book comprising a plurality of leaves, sections of the back edge ofsaid leaves being bent alternately in opposite directions.

2. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge byan-adhesive, successive short sections of the said edge being bentalternately in opposite directions.

3. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge by atough, heat-plastic rubber isomer, the said edge of the leaves beingdivided by a plurality of transverse cuts into short sections which arebent alternately in opposite directions.

4-. A book comprising a cover and a plurality of leaves united atoneedgeby an adhesive, successive short sections of the said edge beingbent alternately in opposite directions.

5. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge to eachother and to a fabric reenforcing strip by an adhesive, and a coveraflixed to the reenforcing strip, successive short sections of the saided of the leaves being bent alternately in opposite directions.

6. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge to eachother and to a fabric reenforcing strip by a. tough, heatplastic rubberisomer, and a cover aflixed to the reenforcing strip, the said edge ofthe leaves being divided by a. plurality of transverse cuts into shortsections which are bent alternately in opposite directions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of April,1929.

' WALDO L. SEMON.

